The Relationship between Parents’ Quality of Life and Perceived Parenting Styles of Martyrs and War Handicapped Veterans’ Children

Introduction & Purpose: Quality of life in martyrs and war handicapped veterans’ families may be affected by the type of parents’ physical problems, not having parents or their long-term worrying absences. Obviously, lack of mental or physical health of parents dislodges the family from its natural status and increases the vulnerability of members, especially children against mental illness. Parenting is an important variable influencing many psychological, social and emotional variables during life span. The present study aimed to predict parenting styles perceived by children through certain subscales of parents’ quality of life. Method: All parents and families of martyrs and war handicapped veterans’ students in the academic year 2014-15 studying in Zahedan constituted the study population, among which a sample of 139 parents of martyrs and war handicapped veterans’ families along with their children were selected using random cluster sampling method. The required data was collected via Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36) and Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) and was analyzed using Pearson correlation and stepwise regression analysis. Results: The proposed model of social functioning, lack of emotional problems and mental health could positively explain the perceived authoritative parenting style. The proposed model of joy (reversely), mental health (directly) and lack of pain (reversely) explained authoritarian parenting style and the proposed model of vitality (positively) and physical function (negatively) could explain permissive parenting style. Quality of life of parents in martyrs and war handicapped veterans’ families is affected by their parenting style. Discussion: The results of the present study revealed that high vitality together with low physical functioning had a significant relationship with permissive parenting style. High vitality and successful social functioning paves the way for a good relationship with children, while lack of seriousness in discipline, inefficiency in giving care and lack of plan paves the way for permissive parenting style.

Keywords:

Quality of Life , Parenting Styles , Martyrs and War Handicapped Veterans’ Families